Device for controlling a plurality of nuclear reactors

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for controlling a plurality of nuclear reactors, comprising, for each nuclear reactor, a plurality of sensors for measuring operating parameters as well a system for controlling the nuclear reactor.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling a plurality of nuclear reactors, comprising:
 for each nuclear reactor   a plurality of sensors intended to measure operating parameters;   a control system for controlling the nuclear reactor;
 a monitoring system for monitoring a state of the nuclear reactor, in communication with the sensors of the nuclear reactors, and comprising a database of the state of the nuclear reactors, the database of the state of the nuclear reactors comprising, for at least one nuclear reactor and for at least one given instant, data relating to: a level of use of the nuclear reactor, a use of components of the nuclear reactor, the operating parameters of the nuclear reactor, a state of fuel of the nuclear reactor, and planned changes in a rate of use of the nuclear reactor; and 
 a planning system for planning maintenance operations, in communication with the monitoring system, comprising
 a database of maintenance operations, in which data relating to the maintenance operations are recorded, 
 a human-machine interface allowing a supervisor of the nuclear reactors to add data relating to the maintenance operations to the database of the maintenance operations, the data relating to the maintenance operations comprising:
 a maintenance operation to be carried out, 
 a nuclear reactor on which the maintenance operation must be carried out, and 
 a time and a date at which this maintenance operation must be carried out, and 
 
 a device in which a level of importance is assigned to the maintenance operations, the level of importance being either critical or non-critical, 
 
   wherein:   the monitoring systems and the planning system are dedicated for each nuclear reactor according to a distributed architecture and all of the monitoring systems and the planning systems communicate via a data exchange network and are configured to update the databases of each monitoring system and of each planning system depending on the evolution of the state and planned maintenance operations of the other nuclear reactors of the plurality of nuclear reactors,   for the maintenance operations having the critical level of importance the monitoring device is configured to collect data measured by the sensors of the nuclear reactor and allow the control system or respective operating personnel of the nuclear reactor to control the nuclear reactor,   for the maintenance operations having the non-critical level of importance the monitoring device is configured to deliver instructions or commands to the control systems,   for the maintenance operations having the critical level of importance and for the maintenance operations having the non-critical level of importance, the planning system is configured to transmit to the nuclear reactor a planning of the maintenance operations corresponding to a standard planning of maintenance operations defined for a selected reference nuclear reactor, or a planning personalized to the nuclear reactor depending on its state and depending on the data recorded in the database of the state of the nuclear reactors.   
     
     
         2 . The system for controlling a plurality of nuclear reactors according to  claim 1 , wherein the nuclear reactors of the plurality of nuclear reactors are small modular reactors. 
     
     
         3 . A method for controlling a plurality of nuclear reactors, using the system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the method comprises for each nuclear reactor the following steps:
 measuring operating parameters using the plurality of sensors, 
 controlling the nuclear reactor,
 monitoring by the monitoring system the state of the nuclear reactor, based on the information provided by the sensors of the nuclear reactors, and based on information contained in the database of the state of the nuclear reactors, and 
 planning maintenance operations by the planning system, based on information collected at the step of monitoring the state of the nuclear reactor and based on information contained in the database of maintenance operations, in which data relating to the maintenance operations are recorded, taking into account data of the maintenance operations added by the human-machine interface allowing a supervisor of the nuclear reactors to add data relating to the maintenance operations, 
 
   making all of the monitoring systems and the planning systems communicate via a data exchange network and updating the databases of each monitoring system and of each planning system depending on the evolution of the state and planned maintenance operations of the other nuclear reactors of the plurality of nuclear reactors.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising the steps:
 seeking the level of importance assigned to the maintenance operations,   discriminating between a critical level of importance and a non-critical level of importance,   for the maintenance operations having the critical levels of importance, collecting data measured by the sensors of the nuclear reactor and allowing the control system or respective operating personnel of the nuclear reactor to control the nuclear reactor, and   for the maintenance operations having the non-critical levels of importance, delivering instructions or commands to the control systems,   for the maintenance operations having the critical level of importance and for the maintenance operations having the non-critical level of importance, transmitting by the planning system to the nuclear reactor the planning of the maintenance operations corresponding to the standard planning of the maintenance operations defined for the selected reference nuclear reactor or the planning personalized to the nuclear reactor depending on its state and depending on the data recorded in the database of the state of the nuclear reactors.